Apna Asmaan

About the film

Apna Asmaan (transl. Our sky) is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Kaushik Roy, starring Irrfan Khan, Shobana and Dhruv Piyush Panjuani in pivotal roles, with Rajat Kapoor and Anupam Kher in supporting roles. Khan plays the protagonist, an "everyman" who is discontented with a failing marriage and an autistic son Buddhi played by Dhruv Panjuani. He is constantly blamed by his wife Padmini, played by Shobana, for their son's condition. After meeting a scientist Dr. Sathya, played by Anupam Kher, Ravi obtains a drug which cures mental disorders from him and injects Buddhi, leading him to become intelligent. However, in the process, Buddhi starts to forget his parents and friends, leading to uncontrollable tragic events.

The film was originally planned in 1999 by director Kaushik Roy, who conceptualised the idea from his own child Orko. According to the former, the film deals with autism, an issue which is foreseen as taboo in Indian society. The film made its theatrical debut in India on 7 September 2007, with international premieres held at the ReelWorld Film Festival in Toronto, the San Luis Cine Festival and the Stuttgart Film Festival in 2008. The film received several accolades at various film festivals.

Apna Asmaan received mixed reviews from critics, who debated the direction and story, but praised the acting, themes and messages about the parents' overambitious dreams inherited to their children. It was cited as one of the most-talked films of 2007, which established the film as an art film rather than a commercial film.

Cast and crew

Apna Asmaan was directed by Kaushik Roy, and released in 2007.

The film features Irrfan Khan in its principal cast.

Key details